Opinion: Congress must reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act

OpinionFirst Opinion Congress must reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act Preparedness cannot be built during an emergency Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article By W. Craig Vanderwagen and Jennifer B. AltonJune 16, 2026 Vanderwagen was the founding assistant secretary for preparedness and response from 2006 to 2009. Alton previously worked for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and drafted the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act. The Trump administration has taken important steps to strengthen America’s national health security by preserving the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, known as ASPR, within the Department of Health and Human Services and recently nominating a new assistant secretary to guide the agency. Congress should now build on that momentum by swiftly confirming the administration’s nominee and reauthorizing the law that provides ASPR’s authorities, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act.Advertisement As the founding assistant secretary for preparedness and response (Craig) and a lead Senate staffer on the original PAHPA legislation (Jenn), we played key roles in establishing ASPR. But most Americans have never heard of the agency. Yet when the nation faces a biological threat, a natural disaster, or another health emergency, ASPR is the federal agency responsible for coordinating the medical and public health response. Its work sits at the intersection of national security, health care, and emergency management. Recent events underscore why ASPR’s mission matters. The agency has provided medical and operational support for the repatriation of Americans potentially exposed to hantavirus and has leveraged its network of Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers to provide specialized care when needed. These treatment centers were built up by ASPR in response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak so exposed patients could receive best-in-class care.Advertisement At the same time, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, housed within ASPR, is supporting medical countermeasures for current threats ranging from hantavirus to Ebola, including a new initiative to fund Bundibugyo ebolavirus vaccine candidates. But ASPR’s responsibilities extend far beyond responding to today’s headlines. The agency is preparing for a demanding summer that includes hurricane season, the 2026 FIFA World Cup and events associated with the nation’s 250th anniversary. Each of these occasions presents unique public health and medical preparedness challenges that require extensive planning and coordination across all levels of government and the private sector. The agency is also implementing White House executive orders aimed at strengthening domestic manufacturing of essential medicines and medical supplies. The Covid-19 pandemic exposed dangerous vulnerabilities in global supply chains. Reducing America’s dependence on foreign sources for critical medical products is not only a public health priority but also a national security imperative. At the same time, ASPR remains focused on emerging threats that too often receive attention only after a crisis occurs. From naturally occurring outbreaks to the growing risks posed by geopolitical instability, biological weapons, or lab accidents, and other threats from state and non-state actors, the nation’s preparedness infrastructure must remain vigilant and ready. The lesson from recent years is clear: Preparedness cannot be built during an emergency. It requires sustained leadership, investment, and coordination before disaster strikes. That is why Congress should act now to confirm the administration’s nominees to lead both ASPR and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has been without a confirmed director for almost a year. Strong leadership is essential to ensuring the federal government can effectively anticipate and respond to future health security threats.Advertisement Congress should also complete the long-overdue reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act. PAHPA became law in 2006, providing a strategic and coherent statutory framework that supports the nation’s preparedness and response capabilities, including ASPR and BARDA. The law has been reauthorized and enhanced twice since then. However, its authorities expired in 2023, requiring stopgap, temporary extensions. Allowing key authorities to lapse would weaken the very systems Americans depend on during crises, and fails to implement lessons learned over the past seven years. Finally, the administration should continue to strengthen ASPR’s role as the nation’s lead coordinator for public health and medical emergency preparedness and response. That includes deepening collaboration with state, territorial, tribal, and local governments; expanding the Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers, the Regional Disaster Health Response System, and the National Disaster Medical System; reinforcing ASPR’s role as the principal adviser to the HHS secretary on health emergency preparedness and response; and funding the Public Health Emergency Fund so resources are available when they are needed most. America’s next health emergency is around the corner. The administration has taken important steps to strengthen the nation’s preparedness. Congress should do its part now to ensure the country is ready for whatever comes next. W. Craig Vanderwagen, M.D., was the founding assistant secretary for preparedness and response from 2006 to 2009; he is now an instructor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and co-chair of the National Academies Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness. Jennifer B. Alton, M.P.P., previously worked for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and drafted the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act; she is now president of Pathway Policy Group. Letter to the editor Have an opinion on this essay? Submit a letter to the editor. Congress, public health Submit a correction requestReprints W. Craig Vanderwagen Jennifer B. Alton Newsletter The smartest thinkers in life sciences on what's happening — and what's to come Recommended First Opinion June 16, 2026 I’m an Alzheimer’s specialist. 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